I have just read the Forum piece in the February edition and agree totally with Yvonne Orgill from the BMA and her view on the importance of training in difficult times.

Many organisations perceive staff training as an unnecessary expense, especially during tough times when budgets are tight. However I am a firm believer in developing and maintaining good quality training programmes - even during periods of economic slowdown. A happy, motivated and high quality workforce throughout all areas of a company - and in my case from the warehouse teams to the delivery drivers, and the field sales team to line managers - is crucial to employee development, excellent customer service and overall business success. And as a distributor, our strategic training programme extends to our customers as well - the retailers selling our products - as their success mirrors our success.

Investing in people in this way can be viewed as a tool against the recession and training should not be dismissed. If, like me, you are passionate about delivering a continuously outstanding customer experience, then comprehensive product and customer service training is key to riding out the storm. Yes, we are feeling the pinch right now, but our latest performance figures show record service levels - so that must be a good thing, mustn't it? 

If you are looking to increase investment into quality staff training, ensure you do your research, implement ongoing and structured training programmes, and consider the needs of all areas of the business. Why not talk to suppliers and manufacturers also and ask what they can offer? Rising to such challenges in turbulent times will pay off in the long run - and I believe, will keep you ahead of the game.

Phil Anderson, commercial director, PJH Group

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